Central America
Wildlife summit to vote on ‘historic’ shark protections
| By AFP | Francisco Jara |
A summit on the international trade in endangered species will decide today whether to ratify a “historic” proposal to protect sharks, a move that would drastically restrict the lucrative global shark fin trade.
The proposal would place dozens of species of the requiem shark and the hammerhead shark families on Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).
That appendix lists species that may not yet be threatened with extinction but may become so unless their trade is closely controlled.
The initiative was one of the most discussed at this year’s CITES summit in Panama, with the proposal co-sponsored by the European Union and 15 countries. The meeting began on November 14, and ends on Friday.
If Thursday’s plenary meeting gives the green light, “it would be a historic decision, since for the first time CITES would be handling a very large number of shark species, which would be approximately 90 percent of the market,” Panamanian delegate Shirley Binder told AFP.
Shark fins — which represent a market of about $500 million per year — can sell for about $1,000 a kilogram in East Asia for use in shark fin soup, a delicacy.
The vote follows a hectic debate that lasted nearly three hours, with Japan and Peru seeking to reduce the number of shark species that would be protected.
“We hope that all of this will (now) be adopted in plenary,” said Binder.
The plenary will also vote on ratifying a proposal to protect guitarfish, a species of ray.
Heated debate
Several delegations, including hosts Panama, displayed stuffed toy sharks on their tables during the earlier Committee I debate.
After the heated debate, the request to protect requiem sharks went to a vote, garnering above the needed threshold and calming the waters for the subsequent hammerhead shark debate.
Delegates and directors of conservation organizations, who are observers at the summit, are confident that both proposals will be ratified.
“We hope that nothing extraordinary happens and that these entire families of sharks are ratified for inclusion in Annex II,” Chilean delegate Ricardo Saez told AFP.
‘Extinction crisis’
The world is currently in the middle of a major shark extinction crisis, Luke Warwick, director of shark protection for the NGO Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), told AFP at the beginning of the summit.
During the committee debate, Japan had proposed that the trade restriction be reduced to 19 species of requiem sharks and Peru called for the blue shark to be removed from the list. However, both suggestions were rejected.
Participants at the summit considered 52 proposals to change species protection levels. CITES, which came into force in 1975, has set international trade rules for more than 36 000 wild species. Its signatories include 183 countries and the European Union.
Central America
Guatemalan police officer killed in mob riots over baby kidnapping
A police officer was killed during riots provoked by an enraged mob in a Guatemalan town following the kidnapping of a baby, the government reported on Wednesday.
The incidents began on Tuesday night and continued into the early hours of Wednesday in the town of San Vicente Pacaya, about 25 km south of the capital, according to Minister of the Interior Francisco Jiménez.
“There was an incident in San Vicente Pacaya where, unfortunately, a police officer died after being struck in the head with a stone. He passed away this morning,” Jiménez said in a press conference.
He explained that the unrest erupted following the arrest of two suspects in connection with the kidnapping of “a baby just a few months old,” including a woman with a criminal record.
Sports
Venezuela investigates 18 baseball players seeking asylum in Spain
The Venezuelan government announced on Wednesday that it is investigating the case of 18 baseball players who are “under the supervision of Spanish authorities” after seeking protection.
In a statement, Venezuelan authorities said they are working to determine whether this case involves “a possible human trafficking scheme,” though they have not provided any evidence of such a crime.
The Venezuelan government emphasized its commitment to protecting the country’s athletes while also denouncing the use of international legal frameworks by certain governments allegedly seeking to discredit the administration.
CNN reached out to Spain’s National Police for a response to Venezuela’s claims. According to Spanish authorities, the 18 young athletes—including two minors—arrived in Spain to participate in a series of matches but had already planned to apply for asylum. Authorities confirmed on Tuesday that they had begun interviewing the players to process their international protection requests.
The team’s coach addressed the situation in a TikTok video, refuting local media reports that he had abandoned the athletes. He asserted that the players chose to remain in Barcelona to secure the necessary permits to sign with other teams and that their decision was unrelated to any political motivations.
Sports
Filipe Luis debuts as coach in Copa Libertadores with Flamengo
A two-time Copa Libertadores champion with Flamengo during his playing days, Filipe Luis will make his managerial debut in the tournament this Thursday when the popular Rio de Janeiro club faces Venezuela’s Deportivo Táchira.
Placed in Group C alongside Táchira, Liga de Quito, and Argentina’s Central Córdoba, Flamengo starts as one of the favorites—a major challenge for the 39-year-old former player.
His early coaching career has been off to a strong start.
After retiring in 2023, Filipe Luis took over as Flamengo’s head coach on September 30. Just 41 days later, he won his first title, the Copa do Brasil. The year 2025 has already brought two more trophies: the Supercopa do Brasil, where Flamengo defeated Botafogo—current Libertadores and Brasileirão champions—3-1, and the Campeonato Carioca.
At 8:30 PM local time (00:30 GMT Friday), Flamengo under Filipe Luis will make its international debut at Estadio Pueblo Nuevo in San Cristóbal. Although Gerson, Uruguayan Giorgian de Arrascaeta, and Ecuadorian Gonzalo Plata are unavailable, the squad still boasts attacking firepower with Bruno Henrique and Everton.
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